Patrick Dunst

Musician

Patrick Dunst, MA MMus, born in 1983 in Graz. Studied Saxophone Jazz at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Graz. Additional studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, with Wolfgang Puschnig. From 2004, also studied classical South Indian singing with Dr. K. S. Subramanian at the "Chennai Institute for Music of the World," India. In September 2009, completed a Master’s degree in Ethnomusicology at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Patrick Dunst lives as a musician, composer, and educator in Vienna.


http://www.patrickdunst.at

Natascha Grasser

Theater director

Natascha Grasser was born 1984, in Judenburg. Her work focuses on producing and promoting high-quality theater for all ages. In interdisciplinary projects, Grasser frequently collaborates with artists from various art forms to continually push the boundaries of theater. Her directing work has been repeatedly nominated and awarded the "Stella – Performing. Arts. Prize for Young Audiences." Children, teenagers, and adults, regardless of their background, have the right to see social diversity reflected on stage in an age-appropriate way. Grasser places special emphasis on portraying all life realities and depicting a pluralistic society. In spring 2023, she takes over the artistic direction of Mezzanin Theater in Graz. Since 2022, she has been on the board of ASSITEJ Austria.


https://mezzanintheater.at/

Fiston Mwanza Mujila

Author

Fiston Mwanza Mujila was born in Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of Congo) and studied literature and human sciences there. In 2007, Mwanza Mujila left the Congo and lived in Belgium, Germany, France, and, after being invited to Graz as a city writer in 2009/2010, in Austria. Fiston Mwanza Mujila is pursuing a doctorate in Romance studies in Graz, where he teaches African literature. He writes poetry, short stories, and plays. His texts are performed in France, Congo, Germany, and Austria.
The play "Zu der Zeit der Königinmutter" by Fiston Mwanza Mujila was performed at the Akademietheater (Vienna) and Deutsches Theater Berlin. Mujila's texts reflect on the chaos, civil wars, and decades of Mobutu's dictatorship that have marked his homeland since its independence from Belgium in 1960. Themes of loneliness and exile recur in his work. In his bilingual long poem "Le Fleuve dans le Ventre/Der Fluß im Bauch," these themes are central. The narrator speaks of child soldiers, disease, disfigurement, and the Congo River, symbolizing life and threatened identity. Mujila describes the Congo River as a significant inspiration with ambiguous symbolism: it represents Africa's greatness but also its inaction during conflicts, carrying away corpses.

 

Markus Boxler

Stage- and Costumedesigner

Markus Boxler studied stage and costume design at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz and the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre in Lyon. He mainly works in Graz and has designed for various theaters including Mezzanin Theater and Schauspielhaus Graz. From 2008 to 2018, he was responsible for all productions by Theater t’eig. He also worked as a cultural mediator for the Steirischer Herbst festival and is currently part of the Opera Graz props team.

 

Susanne Lipinski

Actress

Born 1977, in Pinzgau, Susanne Lipinski studied acting at the Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna and under international teachers in Graz, completing her German studies in 2004. She has worked as an actress, director, dramaturge, and theater educator in various theaters across Austria, including Theater am Alsergrund (Vienna) and Schauspielhaus (Graz). She is part of the collective KOLLINSKI, seeking new theater spaces, innovative play forms, and interdisciplinary projects.